ICON Airflite MIPS Jewel Gold Full Face Helmet

The Airflite Jewel is ICON's full face helmet in gloss gold, fitted with MIPS. It carries an internal dark sun visor operated by an external switch, and ships with two outer shields, clear and dark smoke.

Injection moulded polycarbonate shell, removable Hydradry liner, certified to DOT FMVSS 218, ECE 22.05 and PSC. It's one of several graphic treatments on the Airflite platform, alongside options like the UrsaMajor if a different artistic direction suits you better.

MIPS in brief

MIPS is a thin low friction layer between your head and the helmet liner. In an angled impact it lets the helmet shift slightly around your head instead of dragging your head with it, reducing the rotational force reaching the brain.

You will not feel it riding. You notice it if you push the helmet with your hands while wearing it and sense a small movement in the liner. That is the system working, not a fault.

MIPS reduces risk. It does not remove it.

Three layers of light control

This helmet gives you three ways to manage light, and it is the thing you notice most in daily use.

• Clear Fliteshield for night riding and low light.
• Dark smoke Fliteshield swaps in with the quick change system in under a minute.
• Internal DropShield drops and retracts on a switch at the side of the shell, workable one handed while riding.

That third layer earns its keep here. Coming out of an underpass or bridge shadow into direct sun, you drop the sun visor in one movement instead of stopping to change shields. If you want a different tint or a spare, replacement Airflite shields are sold separately.

From ICON's instructions: the internal sun visor is to be used only with the outer shield fully closed.

Riding after sunset

Before any night ride, retract the internal sun visor fully and check that the shield fitted is the clear one.

A dark shield is excellent in daylight and unsafe after dark, because it cuts the light reaching your eyes and you lose road surface detail, ridges and potholes. That is a visibility issue rather than a comfort one.

Both shields come in the box, so switching costs nothing. Keep the spare in the soft bag in your luggage.

The chin vent and what it does for the shield

The largest intake on this helmet is the chin vent, styled after motocross helmets. It pushes air directly onto your face and the inner surface of the shield.

The practical benefit is reduced fogging on early morning rides and in humid coastal air, in Jeddah and Dammam, where the shield mists up quickly at a standstill.

The rest of the system is four intakes and two rear exhaust ports with channels cut into the EPS. Airflow depends on movement, so it is strong while riding and drops off naturally when stationary.

Keeping the gold finish sharp

This is a gloss mirrored gold, and it shows fine scratches and fingerprints more readily than most finishes.

Rule one: rinse before you wipe. If there is dust on the shell, rinse it with lukewarm water first. Wiping dry dust across gloss paint drags grit over the surface and leaves swirl marks that do not come out. Here the dust is fine sand, which makes this matter more than it would elsewhere.

After rinsing, dry with clean microfibre in one direction.

Gloss finishes take automotive wax made for clear coat, which helps hide fine swirls and makes insect removal easier afterwards.

Never wax the shield. It carries an anti fog coating that wax and polish destroy. Shields get mild soap, water and a soft cloth only.

Shell material and one thing to watch

The shell is injection moulded polycarbonate, a certified material that passes the required safety testing, and the helmet weighs around 1.7 kg.

The point to watch: polycarbonate reacts to solvents, fuel vapour and harsh cleaners. Anything containing alcohol or solvents can weaken the shell over time.

In practice, clean with lukewarm water and mild soap only, do not store the helmet in a garage alongside fuel or chemicals, and do not rest it on the tank while filling up.

Getting the size right from day one

Start by measuring your head circumference above the eyebrows with a tape, then pick your size from the manufacturer's chart.

The first time you put it on, expect pressure on the cheeks. That is normal. Cheek pads compress within roughly the first fifteen to twenty hours of riding and settle over about two weeks.

Judge by the crown. If the top of your head feels comfortable and only the cheeks feel tight, the size is right. If the crown itself is pressing, move up a size.

Do not size up to escape the initial tightness. A loose helmet moves on your head at the moment you need it not to.

Points to consider before buying

At around 1.7 kg you notice the weight in city traffic where you are turning your head repeatedly, and on rides past the two hour mark.

Gloss gold draws attention and needs regular cleaning to keep looking right. If you would rather have something that tolerates neglect, the El Centro in black is a darker finish on the same Airflite platform.